


I Run To You

by call_it_a_miracle



Series: When The Stars Align [2]
Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Angel is a dick, Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Manga Spoilers, Mephisto Pheles is a Little Shit, Post chapter 109, Rin needs a hug, Shiemi cries a lot, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-13 04:33:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20168215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/call_it_a_miracle/pseuds/call_it_a_miracle
Summary: “Then you won’t care about the situation I told you about. The one regarding one Moriyama Shiemi? I thought she’d be as important to you as you are to her, but evidently she’s not.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oof this took longer than I thought it would. Enjoy!

Consciousness slowly returns to Rin, who groans at the pounding in his head. He tries to open his eyes, but the lights in the room are too bright. His new overwhelming senses tell him that he’s in an unfamiliar empty room with no windows; a single door sits a few feet away from his spot on the cold hard ground. He sighs, long and hard, before finally opening his eyes.

He adjusts to the light quickly and is immediately taken back by the true _emptiness_ of the room. The walls and ceiling are pure white, heavily contrasting with the black hardwood floor. The only object in the room is a big crystal chandelier that sits in the middle, casting interesting shadows on the walls. The room itself isn’t small, just big enough for Rin to feel insecure sitting right in the middle of it.

The Demon Prince sits up, flinching as pain runs sharp down his spine, reaching his previously numb limbs. He hisses as he tenderly holds his head between his hands and focuses on taking long, deep breaths until the pain becomes more tolerable. Once he’s able to look down at the black coat he’s wearing, his heart twists in his chest.

_Does he really deserve to be wearing that? And…_

_…does he even _want_ to deserve it?_

After finally opening himself to the past, to the pain, he can’t find it in himself to return to the old habit of pushing everything down and keeping himself ignorant to it. It _hurts_, and it’s all _there_ – **inside him** – and he doesn’t like it.

Everything is his fault, from the moment he was born to _this_, lying on the cold hard ground while Yukio is God knows where and his friends-

The countless lives he’s taken, ruined, _tainted_…

He really shouldn’t have been born.

And now it’s too late for anything because The Fated Day (whatever that is) is so close he can _feel_ it. The atmosphere in all of Assiah is slowly getting thicker and thicker, preparing itself for the war that’s to come. And now, somehow, he has to at least try to stop it.

Him, who just a few – what? Days? Weeks? He’d completely lost his cool, almost gave himself over to his demonic impulses and most importantly, almost _killed_ his friends. His family.

But he didn’t. He was able to hold himself back that time and he’s so damn grateful for that. But would it happen again?

Suddenly, a big demonic presence nags at the back of his head. A familiar pull he’s come to recognize as-

“Ah, so you’re finally awake.” Mephisto’s smooth voice breaks through the fog in his mind, echoing throughout the room. “Finally! I was beginning to think you’d never cool off on time.”

“On time?” Rin asks, his voice raspy from misuse. “How long have I been out?”

“Almost three weeks. Nineteen days, seven hours and twenty-three seconds, to be exact.” The Demon King says, looking down at Rin. “The Fated Day is getting closer and two _very_ important pieces have made a significant move on the board.”

“Move? What are you talking about? I swear if you don’t start speaking clearly I will-”

“But that isn’t of import at the moment.” Mephisto turns to Rin, kneeling next to his sprawled-out figure. “There is a _situation_ you might want to take care of.”

Rin huffs and lets a bitter smile paint his pale face. “Right. Now that I know everything, I’m really in the mood to go on some stupid mission. Just gonna grab my sword and go out there like nothing fucking happened. Sure.”

“Many things have happened whilst you laid unconscious, little brother.” Mephisto stands up, looking down on the defeated kid. “And if I remember correctly, you broke your sword.”

Memories of that day replay on Rin’s head, and his eyes open wide. The burning anger punches a hole on his chest and bursts out once it finds a target that isn’t himself. He ignores the whole ‘little brother thing’, too enraged to care. “_You were there_.” Slowly, carefully, the Demon Price stands up and meets the other’s eyes. “You saw it all happen, you _saw_ Yukio _shoot_ me, you _saw_ the flames _eating_ me up, you _saw_-”

“I didn’t quite see anything so calm down before you hurt yourself. I was _aware_ of it, vaguely. As the King of Time, I am made aware of events in the past, present, and sometimes the future. That doesn’t mean I was physically present, much less that I know in detail _what_ is going to happen. Though I must say, from the reports I’ve read it was _quite_ the show.”

Rin’s brain works a thousand miles a second, processing every single word that leaves the Demon King’s mouth. “Still, you fucking knew he was going to leave, you _knew_ and you didn’t do shit you absolute piece of-”

In the blink of an eye, the ancient demon takes hold of his collar, picking him up with ease and surrounding him with the ghost of his true form. “**Do not make me regret letting you live, little brother. As much as I’ve given you, I can also take it all away.**”

“You don’t scare me.” Rin growls out, showing his sharp canines. “And I don’t care about what you think I _owe_ you. Right now, I have **nothing** left, and that’s partly your fault.”

Mephisto smirks, letting go of the boy but keeping the threatening atmosphere in the room. “’Nothing’, you say. There is _nothing_ tying you to Assiah anymore, huh?”

“Not Assiah, much less Gehenna. I am _nothing_.”

“Then you won’t care about the _situation_ I told you about.” The Demon King eyes the Demon Prince for a few seconds, measuring the turmoil of emotions revolting in him before continuing, his smirk growing with every word. “The one regarding one Moriyama Shiemi? I thought she’d be as important to you as you are to her, but evidently she’s not.”

Rin pulls back from Mephisto’s death grip but keeps himself close to the elder demon. “What about Shiemi?” He snarls, still showing his sharp white fangs.

“She’s been taken in as a witness to Shemihaza by her other Nephillim.” Mephisto snaps his fingers and a pink, fluffy couch appears behind him. Without breaking eye contact with Rin, he unceremoniously flops down on it, crossing a leg elegantly over the other. He pats the other side of the couch but doesn’t even act surprised or offended when the boy pointedly denies the invitation.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rage still marks every single one of his words, and his hands shake by his sides with unreleased energy. He notes that his flames are being somewhat supressed in the room, and as much as he would love to, he can’t hurt the Demon King.

“It means that Miss Moriyama has found her way back to the Nephilim, and she’ll lead Shemihaza’s children throughout The Fated Day. See, your friend isn’t fully human, either.” Mephisto leans forward, savouring the confusion on the Demon Prince’s face. “She’s a Nephilim, daughter of Shemihaza’s bloodline created in ancient times to serve and protect all forms of life in Assiah. Together with Armumahel’s children, it is her duty to maintain the balance between life and death, Assiah and Gehenna, and most importantly, creation and destruction.”

Rin’s brain absorbs the information like a sponge, letting himself process it in the most rational way possible. It’s moments like this when he craves his brother’s more rational way of thinking instead of his heavily emotional impulses. Right now, his heart is screaming at him to go find Shiemi and run away, let the others fight their stupid war, but his head knows that that’s just childish, wistful thinking.

“Where is she?” He asks, keeping his tone dangerously neutral.

“Safe.” Mephisto says, leaning back on his sofa. “For now.”

The Demon Prince takes a deep breath, swallowing the ball of fire that clawed at his throat. “**And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?**”

“The Nephilim are quite _determined_ to fight. They are sure that Satan will find a way to make Armumahel stand by his side, meaning destruction all over Assiah. They want Shemihaza to use them as live grenades, absorbing their power and overwhelming Satan’s efforts. In other words, they want to sacrifice their strongest souls and use them to harvest power against our Father. And it so happens that Miss Moriyama possesses the strongest, purest soul amongst the Nephilim.”

The Demon King pauses, letting Rin swallow the words before continuing. “They won’t do anything against her will as part of their principals, but she seemed determined to help in any way she could. Either way, Shemihaza’s Nephilim are master manipulators that hold enough power over Assiah to be considered a threat should they turn on us.”

“Us?” Rin raises an eyebrow.

“Yes. Now I suggest you go talk to your friend, decide what fate she’ll follow.”

“Why me?” Rin grimaces, huffing out a bitter laugh. “I’m the least appropriate person to talk over her own decisions.”

Mephisto eyes him. “So, you want her to sacrifice herself for them?”

“Fuck no! But I shouldn’t be the one to talk to her. Get Izumo to do it. They’re close, she’ll convince her.”

“I’m afraid Miss Kamiki is too busy catching criminals in Romania. You’re the only one available for this task, like it or not.” Mephisto smirks again, this time letting a mischievous glint sparkle in his otherwise dark eyes.

“Why do _you_ want to help her so much?” Rin asks, his eyebrows knitting themselves together.

“I’m not helping anyone. Just merely moving pieces on the chess board.” He clasps his hands together on his lap. “So, are you willing to go?” His eyes travel from Rin to the hardwood door. It creaks open, and a blinding light accompanied by the sound of running water drowns the room.

Rin looks at it, taking a few deep breaths before slowly walking towards it. He doesn’t bother to spare Mephisto with another look before crossing the doorway.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “So, you’re not scared?”

“Would you like another fruit cake, Mistress Shiemi?”

Shiemi smiled timidly, shaking her head. “I’m so full I don’t think I could have any more! Thank you so much Miss Mariko! Why don’t you have one yourself?”

Mariko’s permanent smile widens a bit to the point where Shiemi can’t help but think it must be a little bit painful. “Thank you so much, Mistress Shiemi! I would love to! Do you mind if I sit with you?”

“Not at all!” Shiemi sits up, nodding at the empty seat in front of her. “I’d appreciate the company!”

Her mind goes back to that first day, when everyone had rushed to meet her, lathering her with flower crowns and all kinds of foods. She’d been overwhelmed, and once it became unbearable, she’d quietly asked to be left alone. From then on, people asked for permission to even stand anywhere near her. It made her feel even more uncomfortable, but ever so slowly the other Nephilim started to understand her, keeping with their own duties around her.

“Is Mistress Shiemi happy here?” Mariko asks, taking a small bite of the cake.

Shiemi sighs thoughtfully, letting her eyes roam around the beautiful garden they were in, right behind the palace. “It’s beautiful.”

Mariko looks at her, quickly averting her gaze when Shiemi turns to her. “Yes. Our task is to keep it that way, protecting life from anything unnatural that could threaten it.”

“Right,” Shiemi says, taking a gentle sip of her herbal tea. She looks back at the garden, this time spotting the little Greenmen frolicking between flowers and bushes, moving gracefully to the tone of a collective lullaby that can only be heard by them, but Shiemi was sure that if she listened closely, she could make out a little jingling sound.

“It’s so brave, what Mistress Shiemi is going to do for us, for all of Assiah.” Mariko speaks again, taking the last bite of her fruit cake slice.

Shiemi blushes, looking down at her hands tightly clasped on her lap. “It’s my duty.” She sighs, closing her eyes. “Everyone is working so hard, it’s the least I can do for them.”

Her mind goes back to the day her mother told her the truth. How she’d agreed to care for her after the blue night left Shemihaza’s Nephilim in ruin, grasping at straws to keep the balance in Assiah after such a big hit. The only condition had been that she’d have to be returned to the Nephilim whenever she’d be needed. The woman had decided to give her a normal childhood, or as much as she could give her. Being so connected to life, she’d quickly adapted to the environment in the shop, spending most of her time surrounded by various plants, flowers, insects and, of course, garden spirits.

Even though she wasn’t aware of them, the spirits stuck to her like flies to a wall, guarding her like the precious soul she is.

When Shiemi decided to join the cram school, she’d thought it’d just be an opportunity to let the girl interact with other kids her age, but it soon evolved into a determined bird she had to pull down before it flew out of her reach. It was hard, but she’d been notified about The Fateful Day and she had to make a quick decision to make her transition into this new world easier.

For this, Shiemi is very grateful. She’d spent her whole life surrounded by life and love, what else could she ever ask for? Her mother and her grandmother had shaped her into the determined soul she is today, and the only way she can pay them back is to go through with their plan.

Suddenly, a gust of wind appears out of nowhere and rustles with her blonde hair. The ground shakes in protest and clouds start littering the otherwise bright blue sky.

“There’s an intruder.” Mariko says, standing up. “Mistress Shiemi, please wait in the palace. The guards will keep you safe.” She looks behind her, nodding at two blonde men holding what look like golden spears, who quickly approach them.

“Oh,” Shiemi says, looking at the two men. They look identical, like twins, and something twists in her chest at the thought. “A-alright. Please let me know if I can help. I’ve fought many demons before.”

“We’d prefer is you stay somewhere safe, Mistress Shiemi, but I’ll make sure to keep you notified.”

With that, she’s escorted back to the palace into the room that’s been assigned as her own. She hadn’t been given the chance to bring her belongings, so the room was mostly bare. They’d given her some cute, European-style dresses along with many kinds of shoes that remind her of those princess stories her mother would read her in bed.

She’s currently wearing a pastel pink gown with some pastel blue accents and white shoes. The skirt reaches the ground and it would remind her of the kimonos she usually wore if it weren’t for the size of the skirt. It took her a while to learn how to walk in it, but a few days in she’d figured it out.

She’d almost requested other clothes to wear, but once she payed attention at the other Nephilim, she realized they all wore similar clothing, and wearing a kimono would make her stand out even more so she remained quiet.

She makes her way to the big window next to a white wooden desk and looks outside.

There, by the waterfall, she can make out a slightly big crowd. The Nephilim surround a figure clad in black, but she can’t make much out since it’s too far away.

“Mistress Shiemi, you shouldn’t get too close to the window.” One of the guards says, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s ok, I just want to see.” She says, looking up at the guard’s green eyes before returning her gaze to the outside. The guard nods and steps back.

There seems to be a discussion between the Nephilim and the intruder. Their golden weapons sparkle in the now dimmed light of day, and the strong gusts of wind mess with their countless heads of blonde hair.

Suddenly, Shiemi catches a glimpse of grey-ish white locks of hair. Something tugs at her heart, and in the blink of an eye she’s scurrying past the guards and making her way back outside. The guards call out to her, begging her to go back to the palace, but she knows that they won’t try to stop her by force. They’d specifically told her they would never force her to do anything as that goes against their principals, which gave Shiemi enough courage to actually follow through whatever they ask of her.

She runs and runs, and once she reaches the multitude of people, she stops.

“Leave him alone!” She screams, eyeing the Nephilim. “He’s my friend! Let him go!”

“Mistress Shiemi,” one of the Nephilim says, pulling their weapon back. “He’s an intruder. Unwanted, unclean. He can’t be here.”

“He’s none of those things! He’s my friend and I say he stays, so he stays!”

The place is silent, save for the sound of wind passing through the trees, rustling leaves and dangling them in the air. All eyes meet Shiemi, who stands tall and determined in front of them. The wind slowly dies down, and the clouds above begin to disperse.

“Shiemi?” Rin’s quiet voice breaks through the silence. Slowly, the Nephilim open up a path, allowing Shiemi to meet Rin in the middle.

“Rin, you’re ok.” Shiemi lets out a deep sigh of relief, running to her friend and wrapping him into the tightest hug. Rin sighs and hugs her back, allowing himself to indulge in just a few seconds of peace. “Why are you here?”

Shiemi pulls back, her earthy green eyes meeting electric blue. _She looks good_, Rin thinks. _At least she’s not scared_.

“I need to talk to you.” Rin breaks eye contact for a second, looking around at the crowd of Nephilim that still surrounds them. Shiemi does the same, standing up straight and moving to cover Rin with her body.

“My friend will be staying for a while. Please, let us talk alone.” She says, not being able to be anything but polite to the Nephilim who have so kindly taken her in.

The Nephilim nod, one by one leaving, hesitantly, until they’re standing alone in the middle of the garden next to a river leading to the waterfall. Slowly, the clouds leave the sky exposing the bright sun. Rin squints, protecting his overly sensitive eyes from the light.

Shiemi notices this and starts pulling on the boy’s hand, taking him to the tables she’d been sitting at with Mariko earlier that day. Shiemi can feel the numerous pairs of eyes staring at them, but she ignores them, focusing on Rin. They sit down in silence, admiring the beautiful view of the garden.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Rin breaks the silence, sighing quietly. “Kinda looks like the garden of Amahara, huh?”

Shiemi smiles softly. “Yeah, except there’s nearly not enough plants here.” She turns to Rin.

His grey-ish white locks dance slightly in the wind, the matching tail wraps itself snuggly around Rin’s waist and his sharp ears stick out more than before. His bright blue eyes look dull, clouded, even with the sun’s light still hitting them just right, and the way he fidgets with his hands is new. Otherwise, he still looks the same to Shiemi.

“Why are you wearing that uniform? Did you… Are you an exorcist now?” She asks, deciding to go for something easier for him to talk about. She knows something bad must have happened to him, other than the sword breaking and releasing his demon heart to take over his body, and she’s determined to help Rin carry the burden.

Rin looks down at the damn black coat and shakes his head. “No… Mephisto gave it to me, to help me hide.” He shuffles uncomfortably in his seat, not daring to meet the girl’s green eyes. “What about you? What’s with the big, fancy dress?”

Shiemi blushes, looking down at the dress. “W-well, they gave it to me. I didn’t want to bother them with giving me one of my usual kimonos.” She chuckles, looking up at Rin. “Rin… what do you mean, help you hide? What are you hiding from?”

Rin sighs, long and hard. “I’m not… hiding, not right now, and it doesn’t matter. I came here to get you out.”

Shiemi frowns. “I-I’m sorry, but I’m not leaving. I can’t.”

“Why not?” Rin looks up at her, his tail swinging in annoyance behind him.

She goes on to explain everything, hoping that opening up to Rin would help him open up to her. She talks about her mother, and Rin’s eyes widen when she tells him why she decided to quit her dream of becoming an exorcist.

“So, you’re not scared?” he asks, meeting her earthly eyes.

Shiemi shakes her head. “I can’t be scared. I’m doing this for everyone.”

“Forget about everyone. Think about yourself! Shiemi… you can die.” Rin frowns, feeling his eyes burn slightly from the threat of tears. “Do you not care about that?”

The Nephil girl feels her eyes start to burn, too, and unlike Rin she welcomes the waterfalls that soon run down her face. “I do care! I do! But I- I also care about my friends! My family! I don’t want them to die!”

The wind picks up again, and the big clouds return with it. Hurried steps are heard from a distance, but Rin can’t focus on them, instead letting himself reach out to Shiemi, trying to comfort her. As soon as he lays a had on her shoulder, though, someone clears their throat.

“Mistress Shiemi?” Mariko asks, placing a gentle hand on her other shoulder. “Perhaps it would be best to dismiss your… visitor. Come back inside and prepare for bed time.”

Rin shoots the blonde woman a glare, but before he can open his mouth Shiemi speaks out.

“Ok, you’re right, Mariko. But Rin is staying the night here. We’re not done talking.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m here for one thing and that is to bring you back home and I don’t care if I have to drag you back, I’m not leaving this place without you, understand?”

The first thing Rin notices is just how _cold_ the room is.

“The bathroom is at the end of the corridor. Please make sure to ring the bell if you need anything.” The guard says, pointing at an old bell hanging on top of the doorway. Rin walks further inside, counting a bed, two bedside tables and a desk tucked inside the small room. A single window lights up the space, accompanied by a couple candles laid gently over the wooden furniture of the room. A pair of soft cotton pyjama pants and a shirt sit snuggly on top of the pastel blue bed, waiting for him. He lets his fingers dance over the fabric, his eyes climbing on the embraided details in the bed sheets.

“Oh, and please do not cause any trouble to my brothers and sisters, we do not appreciate the interruption.”

With that, the guard leaves.

Rin doesn’t know if he should feel offended, considering how right the Nephilim were. After all, he _is_ **unclean**, and very much **unwanted**. He really shouldn’t be here. He’s the least capable of getting Shiemi out, considering how he made her cry a few minutes into their talk.

He sighs, kicking off his heavy combat boots and unbuttoning the heavy black coat and throwing it unceremoniously onto the bed before making his way to the window. The whole European style of the place makes him feel like he’s in one of those American movies his father would let him and Yukio watch from time to time.

Outside, the sky is giving the lasts hints of reds and purples, the dark blue of the night taking over. Stars begin their nightly dance, following the moon into the dark canvas of the universe. Though, Rin can’t help but notice the surreal way the stars seem to move, letting him know that this isn’t a normal Assiah sky. Maybe this is another dimension, like the one Mephisto dragged him into back when he invited him to his place for dinner.

He lets himself get lost in the sight before exhaustion gets the best of him. Funny, he’d been unconscious for almost three weeks, yet he felt more tired than ever.

Meanwhile, Shiemi laid on her uncomfortably comfortable bed, wide awake. She truly hadn’t expected Rin to just barge in and tell her to leave. She really hadn’t been expecting to see _anyone_ ever again, for that matter. Back when she’d learned the truth, she’d made up her mind – she wouldn’t say a formal goodbye to anyone. It would’ve been way too hard for her. It was incredibly difficult to say goodbye to Izumo, holding back tears as she tried to reassure her friend that everything would be ok…

And something that had really hurt, something that had her crying herself to sleep for the entirety of her first week with the Nephilim was that she never got the chance to give some sort of goodbye to Yukio and Rin. They both helped her so much… they were – **_are_** – her best friends. And the way things ‘ended’ with them…

But now Rin is here, and he looks incredibly troubled. More so than he’d been before, with the Impure king or the Kraken.

She closes her eyes, gripping the soft cotton sheets tightly. Even after all those months they spent together she still doesn’t know how to help him. Still, she’s determined to help him, even now that she’s trapped in The Garden.

The next day, Rin is woken up by a soft knock on his door. A guard peaks his head inside, and once he notices Rin sitting up on the bed he walks inside, dragging a service cart with him. Rin rubs the sleep from his eyes, his instincts screaming at him to be alert.

“Good morning,” the guard says, stopping by the window. “I brought you your breakfast and a new change of clothes, if you’re planning to stay long.”

Rin blinks, staring at the fancy, golden metal cart. There was a steaming plate, surrounded by a ceramic tea set and a glass of water. Underneath there was what looked like a neatly folded royal blue and black coat, which Rin suspected would look just like the red coat and white pants the guards wore.

Without waiting for a response, the guard leaves, closing the door behind him.

Rin bolts out of the bed and inspects the service cart. His stomach gives a mighty growl when the smell of eggs fills his nostrils. Without thinking too much about it, he practically inhales the food, and only slows down when the scolding tea burns his tongue. It heals quickly, though, and he’s left to enjoy the carefully picked herbs, giving it a sweet taste instead of the bitter punch he’d been expecting.

Then, he takes the neatly folded clothes and scurries out of the room into the long hallway. A few pairs of eyes follow his every move as he makes his way into the bathroom, still clad in the soft, pastel blue cotton pyjamas he’d been given the night before. He’d dumped the coat somewhere on the brown wooden floor, ready to be forgotten.

Once in the bathroom, he finds a neat cotton bag full of essentials such as a toothbrush, a comb and a bar of soap. Without letting his already overwhelmed brain turn it over, he grabs the bag and proceeds to brush his teeth, shower and put on the new fancy clothes. The cotton felt smooth and warm against his cold, pale skin and the bright blue colour made his dull eyes look brighter. All in all, the one thing that surprised him the most was how light and fresh it felt even though the whole place had a warm, humid atmosphere.

He makes his way back to the room and is surprised to find it neatly cleaned. The bed is done, the service cart is nowhere to be seen and, most importantly, the black exorcist coat – complete with The Order’s emblem – laid neatly on top of the covers, without a single wrinkle or out-of-place fold present. His black combat boots sat under it, as if waiting for him to bend down and out them on.

He eyes them for a few seconds, weary of the reason why they’d been arranged in that way. Surely, the Nephilim wanted him out of there as soon as possible, but why go through the whole ordeal of _ironing_ his coat?

Rin shakes himself, remembering he’s there for Shiemi. He leaves the pyjamas neatly folded on the bed, next to the ominous coat, and walks back outside into the palace’s long hallways.

Soon enough one of the Nephilim, a blonde, green-eyed woman – just like everyone else in the goddamn place – stops him in his tracks. “Excuse me, sir. Mistress Shiemi requests your presence in the garden.”

Rin nods, courtly thanking the woman before making his way to the garden. It’s weird, he’d never been in that place before, but his instincts tell him where to go. The whole place is a maze, and the Demon Prince is glad that he doesn’t need one of those creepy persons to guide him around, though it does unnerve him that the place that fought so hard to kick him out just the day before seemed so welcoming now.

He finds Shiemi sitting in the same spot as yesterday, sipping on a ceramic tea cup. The Demon Prince approaches her quietly, hesitantly, and is very relieved when Shiemi looks up at him with one of those warms smiles he’d fallen in love with.

_Wait, what?_

The girl leaps off her seat and wraps Rin in a tight hug. “Rin! Did you sleep well?”

Rin can’t help but return the ghost of a smile, holding her just as tightly before letting go and unceremoniously flopping back on the cushioned metal chair. “I did, thanks. You?”

“Yeah… I did. Hey, I’m sorry for crying like that yesterday.” Shiemi frowned, looking down at her half empty tea cup. “I just… I really wasn’t expecting anyone to come look for me.”

“What?!” Rin’s eyebrows threaten to reach his hairline. He leans forward, making sure to have the girl’s eyes on his before speaking. “Shiemi, a lot of people care about you. Of course, someone was going to come look for you!”

“No, no.” Shiemi sighs. “I meant that I wasn’t expecting anyone to actually find a way into this place. How did you get in, anyways?”

“Mephisto opened a door for me.”

“Oh! I’m glad the director is doing fine. And the others? How are they?” Shiemi takes a final sip of her tea, putting the fragile cup to the side.

Rin opens his mouth to answer but he’s interrupted by another blonde, green-eyed woman.

“Would Mistress Shiemi and her, um, _visitor_, like a cup of tea?” Mariko asks, taking the empty tea cup.

Shiemi looks at Rin for a second, noticing the annoyed half-frown of his face. “I think we’re good, Miss Mariko. If you could please leave us alone for a second, it would be great.”

Mariko nods, excusing herself. She waves at a few guards standing near the door, and in a few seconds, they’re left alone in the garden.

Still, Rin can feel their presence all over the place. It’s like they’re persons, but they’re also part of the garden. Not just humans, but something more, something that belongs to nature, bigger than just their physical bodies. He understands now, the twisting in his stomach he felt every time he saw Shiemi might not have been from _just_ his feelings towards her alone.

“Sorry about that, what were you going to say?”

Rin finds the ghost of his smile tug on his lips. “Well look at you. Since when d’you like bossing people around?”

Shiemi blushed. “I- I don’t like it! I hate it a lot! But these people insist on being so… _helpful_ to me. I try to tell them to stop but they seem to take things too literal around here.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little creepy?” Rin asks.

“I try not to think too much about it…” Shiemi’s smile twitches. “Oh, right! You were going to tell me about the others?”

Rin’s tiny smile fades. “No, I haven’t seen anyone. Apparently, I’ve been unconscious for almost a month.”

Shiemi’s eyes open wide. “What?! Why? Are you ok?”

Rin sighs, long and hard. “Yeah I’m fine. But I really don’t want to talk about it.”

“But, Rin-”

“I said I don’t want to!” His tail swings from side to side violently, hitting a few bushes that stood innocently right behind him. “I’m here for one thing and that is to bring you back home and I don’t care if I have to drag you back, I’m not leaving this place without you, understand?”

Shiemi wraps her hands into fists, taking a deep breath before standing up from her chair. The chair falls back in a loud thud, hard metal covered in soft fabrics colliding with hard tiles. “Rin, I need you to listen to me, please. No comments, no interruptions, just _listen_, ok?”

Rin looks up at her, her outburst not really facing him. He sighs again but nods, waiting in his seat for her to speak.

“I didn’t know about my past, who I really am. I didn’t even know I was adopted! It’s stupid, looking back now, that I thought she was my real mother. We look nothing alike, and people often commented on it. But, anyways, when she told me about who I really am, what I’m supposed to do, I knew I would. It hurt that I couldn’t become an exorcist just like you guys, but I could still work hard to help you! I wanted nothing more than to fight for my friends, my family, and this is how I’m going to do it.”

Silence. Wind picks up, rustling leaves and picking up flower petals to dance in the air. The distant sounds of the waterfall calm her racing heart as she waits for Rin to speak.

“There has to be another way.” Comes Rin’s quiet reply. “It’s not fair, you are sacrificing yourself to keep the others alive. You’re going to leave them feeling guilty and- and awful for it. You can’t…”

Shiemi frowns, silently walking towards Rin and leaning by his side.

“Rin, what happened after Yuki-chan shot you?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “…thank you. For everything.” He whispers, finally meeting those lively green eyes of hers. “You really bring out the best in me like no one else can.”

He feels like he’s floating, his heartbeat so slow he might as well be dead. Except he knows he’s not because he can still feel Shiemi’s hand gripping his forearm, and the sharp corners of the metal chair digging into his tail. He can hear Shiemi’s heartbeat next to him, and the trees moving with the wind, the waterfall just a few feet away.

_What **did** happen after Yukio shot him?_

“I don’t know.” Rin says. His movements are robotic as he turns to look at Shiemi, who kneels comfortably on the grass bellow them. When did the cold tiles got replaced? Who knows? But things seem to change a lot around here, so he doesn’t question it much. “My sword broke, and my demon heart was set free.”

“…you’re not a demon.” It wasn’t a question. Shiemi squeezed the boy’s arm in reassurance, her eyes glued to the side of his pale face.

“I don’t know what I am.” Rin’s voice is distant, and he feels like he’s constantly shifting between an out-of-body experience and the over-awareness of his tail, and the electric blue coat he secretly is starting to like. “The things I saw… I shouldn’t even be alive.”

More silence, except this time it’s painful. Shiemi sits frozen in place, her small hands grip fistfuls of Rin’s coat – and wasn’t he wearing a black exorcist coat before?

“What did you see?” She asks quietly, running on autopilot.

Rin hesitates for a second. Ever since his father died and he found out about his true nature, there has been _no one_, not even Yukio, that could get words out of him like Shiemi did. It’s not like she forces him, he’s too stubborn to get words out when someone asks. No, she’s always done so without knowing, just for the little fact that her true intention has always been to help. It’s so _easy_ for Rin to talk to her that he just spits it all out, no matter how hard it is for him.

Like that time back in Kyoto, when he’d resigned himself to rot in whatever dumpster Mephisto had thrown him in. Then, when Shiemi ran in and hugged him, it was like all his feelings left his body and simply moved to hers only to return to him in a clean, understandable for; a dialysis of his being.

That girl is more than just a Shemihaza Nephil, and it overwhelms Rin with just how much he cares about her, how much he wants to _give_ her, _do_ for her.

So, he speaks.

He tells her everything, from the moment his human and demon sides fought in his head to his trip to the past. He talks and talks, not letting a single detail untold, not caring that, in this reality, trees do have ears.

“Rin…” Is all Shiemi can bring herself to say.

~~~

It’s been three hours.

Rin spoke for three hours straight and Shiemi remained kneeling by his side, gripping his coat sleeve and letting him know that she’s _there_ and she can _hear_ him. Three hours that her legs remain tucked under her, totally unfaced thanks to her long sessions in her own garden, tending to flowers and just admiring her hard work, sometimes picturing her grandma looking down at her with a proud smile.

Three hours that, to Rin, were merely seconds, but to Shiemi felt like an eternity. 270 minutes of horror, sadness and death. A tragically long, never-ending story she’d never thought she’d get to hear, much less from Rin himself. She remembers Yukio telling her of his doubts, how he kept asking Father Fujimoto about his mother and how they were born. She’d always thought he’d be the one to find it all out.

But Rin is the one talking, not aware of the way his voice shakes and how hoards of stray tears leak from his dull eyes. All this while Yukio is… _gone_.

She hopes he finds whatever he’s looking for wherever he is.

Then Rin runs out of words to say, things to feel, and is left standing outside of his own body. He watches Shiemi hide her head under her forearms, how her shoulders shake with loud sobs she tries to muffle just in case Rin has something else to say. But now it’s all truly out there, and the Demon Prince feels oddly at peace.

They stay like that for God knows how long, thinking of everything and nothing at all, breathing off each other’s presence.

Someone clears their throat. “I was notified of Satan’s spawn’s presence here, but this isn’t what I’d expected.”

Shiemi pulls back slightly, her eyes red and puffy, tears still streaming down her blotchy face. Her green eyes look up to meet another pair of bright green. The long blonde hair swings with the wind, sticking out almost as much as the white long coat did.

“Apologies for interrupting, Mistress Moriyama, but I was asked to evaluate the situation.”

Arthur Auguste Angel enjoys coming back to Shemihaza’s garden every once in a while, as a way to relax and see light after a world of darkness, but most importantly, to see the people who have become his family.

The girl’s eyes widen, and she quickly wipes at her face with her arm, cursing the fact that she isn’t wearing any sleeves. “P- paladin Angel! I- It’s not- P- please don’t take Rin away!” She exclaims, pushing herself on her shaky feet. She extends her arms by her sides, standing strong like a wall between Angel and Rin.

Angel’s eyes look down at Rin, who still sits on the cushions metal chair. A normal person would freak out at the sight of him. If the paladin didn’t know better, he’d think the kid was dead judging by the lack of movement to indicate some sort of respiration, or the fact that his skin is almost paper white, his grey-ish hair blending nicely with it.

Shiemi moves slightly to block Angel’s sight and the Paladin sighs. “I don’t know what is going on here, but I have more serious matters to tend to. It would be nice if you could cooperate with me.”

The wind picks up again. Grey clouds slowly plague the bright blue sky and cast shadows over the garden. The waterfall’s deafening pounding sounds grow harsher, and Angel can feel the mist of misplaced water traveling in the wind crash against him. His hair flows gracefully behind him, and shivers attack his spine. His green eyes narrow into a frown. He looks at the girl and is taken back by the sheer determination in them.

“He’s not going anywhere.”

Angel’s mouth opens, a protest hanging from his tongue, but his usual perfect posture fails him. Something tells him that his authority doesn’t matter much right this second, and he shouldn’t cross whatever happenings are unfolding between those two.

Still, he’s the Paladin – leader of The Knights of the True Cross Order, and in no way is he going to let things get out of control.

“Fine. Just know that The True Cross Order won’t tolerate any more nuisances corrupting the greater scale. I’m not leaving The Garden any time soon, so I’ll know if anything happens the moment it does. Consider yourselves warned.”

With that, the man turns around and walks away, ignoring the roaring sky above him.

Shiemi watches him walk away. Her hands shake, still tightened into firsts as she drags her chair to Rin’s side and sits.

The Demon Prince remains silent, still trying to put himself together. His white tail unconsciously wraps itself around his leg, wrinkling the deep black fabric of his pants.

“Rin?” Shiemi says, voice soft and quiet, as she squeezes his forearm gently.

Rin blinks once, twice, and feels himself come back to his physical body. He shivers and looks up at the sky, not expecting a single drop of water to land on his nose. The drop is followed by another one, and another one, and soon a slight drizzle breaks out.

Shiemi squeaks. “We should go inside.”

To her surprise, Rin nods. He gets up and helps Shiemi do the same. Together they make their way back to the palace. She guides them through the maze of stone walls and wooden doors onto a nice, roofed balcony. A long white couch sits there, waiting, and without a second thought they collapse on top of it, keeping a few polite inches between them. Here, the fresh smell of wet soil and the sounds of rain ease the pain in their hearts, allowing them to really _think_ about it.

Shiemi’s concerned eyes scan the side of Rin’s face. “Rin?” Her voice gets drowned by the background noise, but Rin’s new sensitive ears pick up the soft sound.

The boy hesitantly turns to her. “Please don’t hate me.” His bright eyes are still wet with tears, and without a second thought Shiemi leaps off her seat and wraps her arms around Rin’s neck in an awkward hug.

“I could never hate you for something that isn’t your fault, Rin.” She pulls back a little, just enough to look into his deep blue eyes. “I don’t hate you, and I’m sure none of our friends could ever hate you, either.”

Something sparks in Rin’s eyes. There’s something so honest and open in Shiemi’s words that allows him to believe every single word. Perhaps his undying hope plays its part here, but he knows that _that_ isn’t enough on its own. It’s all thanks to Shiemi taking out the best part of him.

“…thank you. For everything.” He whispers, finally meeting those lively green eyes of hers. “You really bring out the best in me like no one else can.”

Shiemi’s eyes widen. Like a kick to the teeth, memories of a time not too long ago when she still had hopes of following her dream invaded her head. Back then, before she’d learned the truth, when she’d finally admitted to herself that-

“Rin.” She says, her voice wavering with emotion. “I- There’s s- something I wanted to t- tell you b- before mother t- told me the t- truth.” Her hands shake, still gripping Rin’s shoulders in a death grip.

She opens her mouth to say more, but the sound of footsteps interrupts her.

“Mistress Shiemi?” An older woman says, hanging timidly a few feet back. “I am so sorry for interrupting, but your presence is requested for lunch at the palace.”

Shiemi’s blush darkens even more. “Y-yes, of course! We’ll be there in a second, thank you!”

The woman nods, disappearing back inside the palace.

Rin’s eyes desperately search the girl’s face, a tiny frown knitting his silver eyebrows together. Sadly, the spell has been broken and Shiemi can’t find the confidence inside herself anymore. She gulps, closing her eyes tightly for a few seconds before opening them again and mustering a cute little smile.

“We can talk later. Let’s go eat something, yeah?”

Rin’s frown deepens slightly, but he nods. In a second the girl is on her feet and making her way down the long hallways and into the dining hall.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Rin, I like you too.”

A huge crystal chandelier hangs from the centre of the high ceilings, and a long table covered in silverware lies under it. A dozen blonde and green-eyed people of varying ages and heights stand right behind their respective seats. On the head of the table stands the Paladin, drumming his fingers impatiently on the dark wooden chair. Two empty places are set right next to him, and Rin tenses up as Shiemi quickly takes her seat right next to him, leaving her as a shield between him and Angel.

“Finally, let us begin.” Angel says, pulling his own chair back and taking a seat. All the other Nephilim do the same, Rin and Shiemi following last.

Other Nephilim quickly approach, holding silver trays overflowing with plant-based foods. To Rin’s utter dismay, not a single piece of meat can be seen. Still, as he takes a bite of a neatly constructed salad, he finds himself drowning in _taste_. It’s nothing like the breakfast he was served, which might as well had been a boring piece of cardboard compared to what he’s currently devouring.

His human side screams at him to behave, sitting up and using the proper cutlery, while his demonic side screamed at him to eat more and more. He managed to behave himself decently enough, ignoring the stares he’d get from time to time.

“I must say, I’m impressed to see you act so… _humanly_.” Angel says once they finish their dessert, which had consisted of strawberry cupcakes covered in a thin glace of chocolate syrup. “Though I must admit I have no idea of what I’d _expected_ of you.”

Rin can only stare back at him, expression blank.

Angel sighs. “There is no use in threatening you, is it? I just hope you can control yourself enough for now. Without miss Kirigakure or your **_brother_** to keep you on a tight leash… though I guess I’m not giving Mistress Shiemi enough credit here. Not only is she able to _tame _such a demon, but she’s also committing a great sacrifice to the universe.”

Shiemi frowns, her hands wrapping themselves into tight fists. “With all due respect,” she looks up at Angel, “Rin is no demon. He is his own person and he doesn’t need anyone to inspect his every move, sir.”

Rin’s eyes widen, turning to the blonde girl.

Angel rises an eyebrow. “You do know who- _what_ he is, correct? I think it is quite obvious why The True Cross Knights hold such distrust against him.”

“Well, they shouldn’t.” Thunder lights up the room for a few seconds, the deep rumbling sound shaking the Nephilim to their core.

The Paladin looks outside through one of the numerous windows in the room and sighs. “As long as no problems arise here, I am needed elsewhere. Please excuse me.” He stands up, bowing at the other Nephilim before leaving the room. Rin follows his presence, his soul, as he leaves The Garden. Once he can’t feel him anymore, his shoulders drop as the tension leaves him.

Slowly, the other Nephilim excuse themselves, emptying the room.

“Let’s go back to the balcony.” Rin says, his eyes still glued to the side of Shiemi’s face. Shiemi nods, pushing her chair back and standing up.

They walk silently back upstairs, dozens of eyes following them as they walk together, clad in those ridiculous clothes matching the entire Garden like they’d been living there their whole lives.

They sit back on the white sofa, admiring the now strong, almost violent rain outside. Rin sighs, and closes his eyes. His skin feels electric, the hairs on the tip of his tail puff out and dance in the wind. The energy around him is so powerful, nothing like he’s ever felt before. It’s got a life of its own, and Rin would confuse it with that of a Demon King if it weren’t for how _pure_ and _weightless_ it felt.

Then he opens his eyes, and he sees the waves of energy come off Shiemi, an aura of life that feeds The Garden.

“I don’t like the rain.” Shiemi says, looking at the way the trees lean, and plants twist with the heavy droplets of water. “I never liked seeing all the dead plants after a heavy storm hit my grandma’s garden. It made me very sad. Grandma always said that it was part of the balance between life and death, but I never saw it that way. It just seemed so… _unfair_. All those flowers worked so hard to bloom so beautifully, but then wind and rain came and tore them apart… I don’t like it.”

Rin eyed her, keeping his face neutral. “Then make it stop.”

Shiemi frowned, turning to him. “Make it stop? How?”

“This place listens to you. You just have to tell it to stop.”

Shiemi’s frown deepens, her eyes shifting from Rin’s icy blues to the dark grey sky above them. Then, she feels it. The waves running like electricity on the very tips of her fingers. She feels the droplets of water hit her violently, ripping at her leaves and drowning her small roots. She feels her strong trunk protecting the small plants underneath it, her branches holding on tightly against the wind.

Then she feels her clouds, heavy and angry, looking down at The Garden. She feels the rain being released, the intensity of the thunder and lightning rattling the entire little world. She grasps at it, desperate, and tells it to **stop**.

The next time she opens her eyes, the clouds are slowly dispersing onto the now clear blue sky. Little beams of light hit the life bellow, and the sun peaks out from behind the now light grey clouds, happy to be back.

Shiemi sighs, letting a beam of light warm up her rosy face. Her eyes glow like emeralds, and the tingling sensation on her sin engulfs her.

“See? It was all you.”

Her eyes glue themselves to Rin’s in wonder. “How did you know?”

“I don’t know,” Rin smiles softly, bitterly. “I guess it’s a demon thing.” He shrugs, his tail poking out of the long coat and swinging contently on the couch’s arm rest.

“You’re not a demon.” Shiemi says, feeling like a broken record.

“I know.”

Silence envelopes both of them like a comforting blanket. The smell of rain clings to the air as the sky slowly clears above them.

“You know, you really don’t have to do this.” Rin says, turning to Shiemi. “If there is one thing I’ve learned from my past, is that nothing is set in stone.”

Shiemi bites her lip, keeping her sight glued to the sky.

“Just because they say this is the only way doesn’t make it true.” Rin pushes. “You told Angel that I’m my own person, that just because there’s demonic flames inside me doesn’t mean I am a demon. Why can’t you believe that, just because you _are_ life doesn’t mean you have to give your own in order to keep others’?”

The girl’s eyes fill with tears and her bottom lip trembles as she speaks. “I just… I don’t know what else I can do.” Her nails dig half moons into the meat of her palms.

Rin notices this, reaching out of them and delicately undoing the fists. “I don’t know either, but we can find out.” He looks up at her, his eyes dead set and determined. “Together.”

Shiemi gasps, looking up at Rin. She lets a few tears fall, blushing in embarrassment. Rin smiles encouragingly at her, rubbing the backs of her hands with his thumbs.

“I just… I can’t let you sacrifice yourself for something so selfish and stupid.” The Demon Prince sighs, still keeping eye contact with Shiemi. “I don’t want to lose what little I’ve got left.”

“Rin…” Shiemi lets out a gentle sob, pulling a hand from Rin’s grasp to rub at her teary, blotchy face. “I- I’m so sorry.”

Without thinking much about it, Rin pulls her into a tight hug. The gates of the dam open, and she lets sobs wreck at her body once again whilst Rin rubs comforting circles between her shoulder blades. He doesn’t even notice the few stray tears that manage to escape his eyes, too busy focusing on comforting his friend. Though, strangely enough, just having Shiemi in his arms filled him with calm warmth.

Suddenly, she pulls back. Her bright green eyes invade Rin’s, and like a desperate, dying man, she clings onto Rin’s shoulders and says the words she never thought she’d ever get to share with the boy.

“Rin, I like you too.”


End file.
